I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to food packaging, and more particularly to a packaging system in which frozen batter can be stored, shipped and baked into finished, fresh from the oven, bakery goods such as brownies and muffins.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Various means have been used in the prior art to ship bakery products from one location to another. Finished bakery products are often transported in boxes, bags or cartons. Such boxes, bags and cartons serve three functions: (1) provide a convenient means for carrying bakery items; (2) prevent contamination of the bakery items; and (3) assist in keeping the bakery items fresh.
Similarly, unfinished bakery items have been shipped in a number of ways. Cake, brownie or muffin mixes have, for many years, been shipped in boxes or bags. Consumers, restaurant workers or the like blend the mixes shipped in this fashion with other ingredients such as water, milk, or eggs and then bake the product.
Various bakery products, such as cookies and rolls have been mixed at the factory, placed in a cardboard or plastic tube and then shipped to grocery stores or restaurants. In these situations, the product is generally removed from the package, placed on a cookie sheet, and then baked in the oven.
Problems exist with all three packaging methods outlined above. When bags, boxes and cartons are used to package fully baked items, care must be taken to avoid crushing of the package and its contents. Also, such items often lack the freshness and warmth that consumers, whether eating in a restaurant or at home, find desirable. Boxed or bagged mixes for cookies, brownies and cakes, when properly used, often provide the freshness and warmth desired. However, they require extra preparation time, the availability of ingredients other than the mixes, and mixing and baking utensils. This increases both preparation time and clean-up time. Even the prior art products that are fully mixed and ready to bake require the use of baking utensils. The product must be removed from the packaging and placed on a cookie sheet or the like before they can be baked.
The present invention overcomes all of the above-referenced problems with the prior art by providing a unique packaging arrangement in which bakery goods can conveniently be stored, frozen, shipped and even baked. Thus, the present invention not only provides a finished bakery product that is warm and fresh when served, but does so without the need for either any ring operations or any other utensils at the point of final baking. A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a safe and effective method of transporting baked goods after they have been baked as well.
All of this is accomplished by providing a cheap and inexpensive package made up of four components: (1) a corrugated paper base; (2) a corrugated paper tray; (3) a plurality of paper cups; and (4) a shrink-wrap cover that completely surrounds the base, the tray, the cups and their contents. The base has a bottom, an upwardly extending sidewall projecting from the bottom, and an open top. A plurality of holes are cut through the bottom of the base to permit circulation of air throughout the package. The tray is designed to set within the base. It has a top and plurality of downwardly extending feet to hold the top a predetermined distance from the bottom of the base. The top of the tray has two sets of holes. One set is provided to permit proper circulation of air throughout the package. Each hole of the other set is used to receive and hold one of the cups in a spaced fashion from the other cups. The shrinkwrap plastic cover completely surrounds the package to prevent contamination of the contents during storage and shipping of the bakery products.
As suggested above, the present invention permits bakery products to be stored and shipped in a frozen fashion. The consumer or restaurant which receives the goods then simply removes the shrink-wrap cover and place the package in a conventional oven to bake the products. Once baking is complete, the products to be served right from the tray. This eliminates the need for any mixing, baking or serving utensils at a consumer or restaurant site. Alternatively, a distributor of bakery products can bake them in the package and then ship the entire package containing the bakery products to the consumer.